Georg Gatsas - The Process

Light Years 2025

The Process, the inaugural publication from light-years imprint, is here. This limited edition book features the photographic work of Swiss-born, New York-based artist Georg Gatsas, documenting five pivotal years (2002-2007) in New York City's experimental underground and capturing artists who would reshape contemporary culture during a transformative period in the city's history. In the aftermath of September 11th, as New York City redefined itself amid uncertainty and change, Georg Gatsas embedded himself within the city's underground creative communities. Armed with his camera, he documented artists who were creating work that prioritized artistic truth over commercial appeal, operating in basements, abandoned buildings, and the margins of the art world. The Process features intimate portraits and candid documentation of legendary figures including Genesis P-Orridge, Black Dice, Foetus, Martin Rev, Kembra Pfahler, Ira Cohen, Antipop Consortium, and Stephonik Youth, among others. These images capture not just what these artists looked like, but who they were in moments of creative intensity and vulnerability.

Published by light-years and curated by Caterina Barbieri, The Process employs a unique 19th-century publishing technique championed by Stéphane Mallarmé. Hidden spreads of ephemera—record covers, correspondence, clothing, and artifacts from Gatsas's personal archive—are concealed behind uncut pages that readers must slice open with a blade. This transforms each copy into a unique object and reading into a participatory archaeological act. The years 2002-2007 represent a fascinating cultural moment—the bridge between post-9/11 New York and the emergence of the smartphone era. While mainstream culture sought comfort in familiar forms, a vibrant underground scene flourished in spaces between certainty and possibility.

Hardcover, large format, 144 Pages, 561 four-colour process printing plates.